The Trouble with Gaara
by LittleRealCorpse
Summary: Gaara made a friend as a child. What happens years later when she goes through her Chunin exams and they met again? Set during the break between Naruto and Naruto Shippuden.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1. A new friend

Kisame was feeling lonely on the day that she met him...the other lonely child with the red hair and terrible bags under his eyes. Her family of ninja were in Suna to complete a mission and since she had dragged her heels in and insisted on going with them then they had brought her along. But now they were scattered around the town doing different things and she was left alone.  
He had slowly been creeping closer for half an hour when Kisame turned to smile at him. The movement seemed to confuse the boy as he froze up on the spot and watched her.  
"Hello,I'm Kisame..." She trailed off,remembering that her mother had taught her to be polite to others. She smiled wider when he straightened up and came closer. "Who are you?"  
"I'm Gaara. Gaara of the Sands. You're not from here or you would have run away by now." He stated clutching a worn out brown teddy to his chest. "Why would I run away from you?" She quizzed,eyebrows drawn down in her confusion,her brown hair in this ponytail catching the wind and swaying softly.  
"Because I'm a monster..." Gaara looked away, not quite sure why he was telling her this. Taking a peek at the strange girl,he took in her appearance. Long brown hair, and lots of it, tied up into a ponytail. Shifting blue eyes the colour of the sky on a cloudless day. Pale, almost creamy coloured skin with a slight pink glow to it. A knee length purple dress,slit up both her legs for freedom of movement. One bare left,one long wrist length purple sleeve covering her right arm. She wore the standard scandals of most ninja and had a belt with pouches on it for her weapons. Gaara didn't know why but he felt that he could talk to her,maybe she would understand what she was feeling. "I don't think you're a monster Gaara." She giggled and blushed slightly,her cheeks looking rosy coloured,before continuing. "I think you're cute and need a friend."  
Gaara opened his mouth to answer her,to tell that he wasn't cute when they heard a women's voice calling for Kisame.  
"I'm sorry,my mums calling me..." She stood up off the bench she had spent most of the day on watching the clouds. Taking a step,she stopped and fumbled in one of her pouches for a weapon. Gaara tensed up as she pulled up a kunai blade and Kisame,seeing his reaction, turned the blade around and held out the handle to him. "You never have to be alone again Gaara. This kunai was made for me but I want you to take it and remember that I'll be back for it. I'll see you again Gaara!" Gaara took the blade and watched her go,forgetting to say thank you before she waved and disappeared with her parents. A single purple ribbon was twined with a white one around the kunai's handle. By the time Gaara remembered to say thank you,the strange girl was gone and his thanks heard only by the wind.

That had been years ago and now Kisame and Gaara have grown up. They haven't seen each other since that day,though word reached Gaara that a year after he completed his Chunin exams,Kisame was starting hers. Word had also reached Kisame of Gaara's success and she hoped she might see him. Little did they know that they would meet again. Very very soon. 


	2. Chapter 2 It begins

Chapter 2. It Begins

Kisame stared at her reflection in the mirror,thinking. It was the morning of the Chunin exams and she was worried that she wouldn't win. If only her parents were still around to give her some advice,but they had been killed two years ago while doing that mission.

Picking up her Leaf village head protector,she tied it under her ponytail. Her hair had been cut to shoulder length and the long sleeve on the right side of her dress was gone,leaving both her arms free for movement. In the years since joining the Academy, she had grown slimmer and taller but was still the shortest girl in her class. Picking up her bag, Kisame resolved to go to Ichiraku for breakfast.

The morning was alive with people and excitement as the lords and leaders of the other villages arrived for the Chunin exams. Smiling to herself, she dodged out of the path of a few children chasing a ball down the street when her eyes caught the briefest flash of red hair disappearing behind a gourd. That hair was so familiar. Chasing after it,Kisame skidded around the corner to a stop to catch her breath. "Is that you...Gaara...?"

He was flanked on either side,on his left was a female with spiky blond hair pulled back into four bunches. On his right was a tall boy dressed in black with purple marking in his face. At the mention of his name, Gaara looked over his shoulder in surprise,taking in the girl behind him. He took a few seconds to remember her before asking,"Do I know you?"

"Its me,Kisame. I gave you a kunai blade as a child,one with purple and white ribbons around the handles," she breathed out in a rush trying to control herself. "Don't you remember me?"

"No." He turned and continued walking, the other boy going after him while the girl lingered to take in Kisame's appearance before going after the boys.

Kisame felt crushed, even after all these years she had felt connected to very few people,two of them were dead and the other one was walking away from her without a backwards glance. She turned around and went to Ramen Ichiraku,settling down in her normal place for a bowl of fried port ramen.

"Are you alright Kisame?", came a quiet voice at her side as one of her two best friends, Cauron, settled down beside her. Cauron was a quiet boy with lightly tanned skin, green eyes and grey,nearly white hair. He was the third member of her group, though her sensei and the fourth member had not yet arrived. They had more than likely gone straight to the arena.

"I'm fine,just thought that I had seen someone I met before but he doesn't seem to recognise me at all," she sighed and finished her bowl of ramen. Grinning she turned to Cauron. "I'll race you to the arena!" she yelled and took off out the door with him on her heels,heading for the arena.

Gaara watched from a nearby rooftop as Kisame disappeared down the street,Temari standing straight at his side and Kunkuro crouched at his feet.

"Why lie and tell her that you didn't her Gaara?" Temari questioned,taking her eyes away from the rapidly shrinking figure in the distance. Kunkuro also stood up and looked at the younger boy.

"Because Atasuki are still after the Jinchuuriki and if she is exactly who we think she is,then I don't want her to get hurt."


End file.
